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Revellers at carnivals and fairs across Norfolk this summer have found
themselves grateful for a helping hand from Extra Hands when it comes to
keeping cool and hydrated.

The Heacham-based homecare service celebrates its 25th birthday this month, an
event which will be marked with a visit to the company’s headquarters from MP
Henry Bellingham, and in the build-up to that, its workers have been out and
about bringing comfort to overheated fair-goers whilst also raising awareness
of the organisation’s work.

“We’ve been all over the place this summer - the Hunstanton Carnival, Taverham
Fayre, Lingwood School Fete, Sandringham Dog Show, Sheringham Carnival and
Heacham Carnival – giving out bottles of water and sweets in Extra Hands bags,
bringing some much needed comfort in the heat and also letting people know who
we are and what we do,” said Extra Hands director Hazel Evans, who set up the
service with her husband David when he took voluntary redundancy 25 years ago.

What started out as a home cleaning service has now grown into a wider care
agency particularly focused on sufferers from dementia, allowing them to
continue living in the comforting familiarity of their own homes.

From its small local origins, Extra Hands now covers significant parts of
Norfolk, and was the first organisation in the county to supply ‘well-being’
check-ups, done as often as required, to reassure those with caring
responsibilities who might be able to fulfil that role as often as they would
like.

Hazel said the challenges posed by an ageing population and the subsequent rise
of conditions such as dementia made the service supplied by Extra Hands all the
more important.

"People are living longer now, but that also brings with it extra
challenges, so what motivates us is to enable them to stay in their own homes
for as long as they possibly can," she said.

“The health needs of an ageing population are becoming ever-more complicated,
and that’s where we can help out with our specialist services. That’s why we’ve
been raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society at these fairs and summer
events, as well as giving out helpful supplies.

“It also helps raise local awareness of what Extra Hands does, which is of
course great for us as an organisation, but also really useful for people who
might find themselves facing these challenges but don’t know we’re out there to
help them.